Space Beer Splashes Down on Earth

by David Lauterbach

2009 December 9

Space, the final frontier. A few years ago, Sapporo of Japan boldly sent some barley where no one had sent barley before… “outer” space.

The voyage of this barley (let’s call it space barley) was to be educational and was sent under the guise that it would further “collaborative research with the Russian Academy of Sciences and Okayama University with the purpose of achieving self-sufficiency in food in the space environment.”

OK, whatever… the result was space beer. “Space Barley” was made with grains descended from barley that spent five months in the Zvezda Service Module on the International Space Station. The results: just 250 precious six-packs.

The beer will be sold through a lottery for 10,000 yen ($110) each. But only people living in Japan are eligible. The proceeds will be given back to charity to contribute to the promotion of science education for children and the development of space science research in Japan and Russia.
From Wired and a Sapporo Press Release.